Monthly Archives: Červen 2017

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The new blockchain project SkinCoin aims to fix the problems plaguing the booming market of video game skin betting and trade.

The skins market is somewhat of a novelty concept even to many veteran online gamers. It has existed as a fairly marginal industry ever since video game skins first became available but when Steam’s skin market economy spilled into secondary platforms several years ago – and generating insane profits in the process – the industry grew exponentially.

For those who may not know, skins are modified textures of in-game objects. Users can buy, sell and trade skins and prices are primarily dependent on the skin’s rarity. They don’t actually increase a player’s chances of winning but rather make his character look more distinct and visually appealing. For professional streamers and tournament players, vast skin collections are a very important asset that helps them shape unique and identifiable personalities.

Some rare skins used by pro players are in such high demand that they can be sold for thousands of dollars in online marketplaces.

Revolutionizing Video Game Skin Trading

Steam policies restrict how much real money you can pay for a game asset. It is for that very reason that third party skin trading platforms emerged in the first place. While many of these platforms are legitimate, the popularity and profitability of skin trading have given rise to scam sites as well. An unfortunate side effect of these scam sites is that their fraudulent activities are being blamed on Steam since Valve profits from every skin purchase even if it was arranged by a third party.

According to a report by Bloomberg, skins market in 2016 was valued at close to $7.4 billion USD and that number only seems to be increasing. Even in the face of Valve’s half-hearted attempts to crack down on third-party trading platforms, the market is expected to grow as high as $22.6 billion USD by 2020.

The demand for video game skins is very real, as is the need for a free and safe marketplace to meet players’ growing skin trading needs. SkinCoin aims to fill that need by providing gamers with bulletproof blockchain-grade security solutions and transparency, as well as a free and decentralized p2p skin trading platform.

According to Igor Solomatin, CEO of SkinCoin:

We plan to solve the issues of skin trade on all video game sites. SkinCoin will provide security to players’ in-game assets and protect skin trade platforms from Valve’s claims. Unlike fiat money, SkinCoin is not a means of payment according to legal definition in most countries. Third party sites will be able to process trade transactions with the help of SkinCoin and still perfectly conform to Steam policies.

SkinCoin is another example of how blockchain technology is providing solutions to emerging markets materializing out of previously untapped digital economies. Specifically, its architecture is ideal for loosely regulated, speculative virtual markets which have to remain free and decentralized but also safe and transparent for all participants.

SkinCoin ICO

In order to realize their goal of creating a free, decentralized marketplace for the exchange of skins for cryptocurrency, SkinCoin has launched its ICO to raise the necessary funds. The token sale began on June 21, 2017, and will run for exactly one month, ending on July 21, 2017. Their ultimate goal is to raise 100,000 ETH, with a minimum goal of 5,000 ETH. All funds derived from the ICO will be allocated as follows:

60% to marketing

20% to development

20% to future scaling

SkinCoin’s whitepaper further breaks down their marketing funds allocation as shown below:

For more information about SkinCoin’s projects, you can visit their official website, SkinCoin.org. Details about their ongoing ICO can be found here.

Are you a gamer who buys, sells, and trades skins? Do you think the SkinCoin project will solve the issues plaguing the skin trade market? Let us know in the comments below.

DAO.Casino, a project developing a universal blockchain-based protocol for online casinos, will be launching its token sale that seeks to raise funds for further development of its product.

The campaign, which launches at 01:00 PM GMT, will last until July 26th, 2017 or until its cap is reached, whichever occurs earlier. The project seeks to raise $25 million worth of ETH (83333,33). Thanks to the recent release of a minimum viable product for its protocol, the team decided against setting a minimum cap as the MVP would allow them to roll out the protocol in any case.

On the first day of the token sale, early contributors can buy 2,000 BET tokens for 1 ETH. For the next 13 days, token sale participants will be able to buy 1,800 tokens for 1 ETH. For the rest of the campaign, the number of BET tokens available for the same amount of ETH will decrease by 100 every three days.

Contributions will be accepted in Ether only.

Token Distribution and Funds Allocation

Seventy per cent of all issued tokens will be distributed among the contributors, while the remaining thirty percent will be distributed as follows:

10% for legal purposes

10% for bounty programs

10% for early adopters and founders

All funds raised through the crowdsale will be allocated in the following manner:

60% for R&D activities

20% for day to day operations costs

15% for marketing

5% for legal issues

Founders and early investors will have vesting, which is required to ensure the work on the protocol continues after the token sale is over. Founders and early contributors will have 2 years vesting with 6 months cliff. This means we will mature 25% of our tokens each 6 months.

About the DAO.Casino Protocol

DAO.Casino’s blockchain-based protocol automates the value chain of the gambling industry. It will enable independent game developers to receive automatic rewards for their work when casinos take their games onboard. Even more importantly, unlike the current situation, the developers will retain the copyrights for their games.

The protocol of DAO.Casino also introduces the roles of a bankroll backer and randomness provider. As a result, game developers won’t have to depend on casino operators and finding a bankroll backer would be enough for them to roll out a successful product.

Casino operators, for their part, will be able to guarantee that all games offered at their virtual premises are probably fair.

These and other aspects of DAO.Casino’s protocol will benefit all parties involved in online gambling business processes. All contributors – developers, bankroll backers, referrers, and casino operators acting as referrers – will be automatically rewarded for their contributions, eliminating the need for a third party to distribute said rewards. In other words, bankroll backers and referrers won’t have to rely on game providers in order to cooperate.

Further details regarding the protocol’s capabilities are described in the project’s whitepaper.

What do you think about the DAO.Casino protocol? How will it solve current problems plaguing the online gambling industry? Let us know in the comments below.

Even as the past few years have witnessed cryptocurrencies evolve from a niche hobby into a booming global industry, the level of technological savvy required to successfully run even a small-scale mining operation has remained quite high. Now, a new software platform is promising to make things easier than ever before.

[Note: This is a press release.]

The growing interest in various mining services signals an important shift in the public perception of cryptocurrency. No longer the exclusive domain of hardcore enthusiasts, the field now begins to attract less technologically inclined individuals, for whom accessibility and ease of use are just as important as potential profits.

To meet the needs of this rapidly expanding group, a team of developers from a Polish information technology company, Grupa IT, is creating an innovative, user-friendly mine management software system. The tellingly named easyMINE promises an unprecedented level of convenience – without compromising on control, flexibility, or reliability.

Suitable even for complete beginners, easyMINE streamlines and automates every aspect of the mining process. On first boot-up, the eMOS operating system – a heavily modified Linux distribution – automatically configures the hardware. GPUs are detected and flashed with custom BIOSes, and a preliminary adjustment of clock timings and core voltages is performed.

This is followed by an aggressive optimization stage, during which the settings are further fine-tuned for maximum performance and stability. Finally, the system selects the most profitable currency and mining pool of the moment and begins work. From that point on, it also constantly monitors and dynamically tweaks all of the operating parameters to ensure that the mine is always functioning at peak efficiency.

While the easyMINE system is fully capable of operating with practically no human supervision, users seeking more direct control over mining machines will find a complete set of configuration, management, and reporting tools. With a web or mobile dashboard providing access to all the hardware and software settings, real-time performance monitoring, and detailed operating history, easyMINE makes overseeing even several dozen mining rigs intuitive and straightforward.

With alpha testing nearing completion, the easyMINE team is preparing to launch an Initial Coin Offering to fund further development of the project. 27,000,000 easyMINE tokens (EMT), based on the Ethereum Classic platform, will be available for purchase during the 30-day ICO sale scheduled for this summer. The tokens are expected to be exchange-listed as early as in the third quarter of 2017.

In an official blog post published today, decentralized ad exchange platform AdEx has announced that it will be holding a token sale, which is scheduled to begin June 30th, 2017. The project seeks to raise 40 000 ETH over the course of the crowdsale.

About the AdEx Project

Current advertising networks like Google AdSense, Adsterra, ShareASale, and others are fraught with problems, not the least of which are ad fraud and lack of consumer privacy.

AdEx aims to change all of that by developing a decentralized blockchain-based ad exchange that will benefit all parties – advertisers, publishers, and consumers – while bringing data security, fraud protection, clear and accurate reporting, and numerous other advantages of blockchain technology to the online ad market.

Co-founder and CEO of AdEx Ivo Georgiev explains:

The solution offered by AdEx seeks to benefit all parties involved in the online advertising ecosystem, which means end users as well as advertisers and publishers, while removing unnecessary and downright risky elements currently associated with centralized infrastructure.

Once launched, the AdEx Network will enable transparency for advertisers, better ad serving control for publishers, and more control over privacy and ad preferences for consumers.

The Technology Behind the AdEx Platform

Developed on the Ethereum blockchain, one of the core strengths of the AdEx platform will be its use of smart contracts. A smart contract is a piece of software, executed on the Ethereum blockchain, that contains all of the terms, rules, and regulations for negotiating the terms of a contract. It automatically verifies the contract and then executes the agreed upon terms.

In the case of AdEx, these smart contracts will ensure the removal of third party intermediaries and ensure complete transparency of the entire system, from ad selection and tracking to bidding and payment. The complexities of choosing and tracking ads and facilitating bidding and payment will be defined in these smart contracts, simplifying and securing the entire process.

To mitigate the high costs associated with storage on the blockchain, AdEx will be utilizing IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) to host advertising related media such as images, videos, and larger data. Developed in 2014 by Protocol Labs, IPFS is described as a peer-to-peer hypermedia distribution protocol that allows for fast, secure storage and retrieval of data.

The AdEx team is also working on prototypes that incorporate several second layer solutions that will operate on top of Ethereum. These solutions will enable advertisers and publishers to easily interact while avoiding any potential blockchain limitations regarding speed and transaction fees. AdEx plans to implement IOTA as a future second layer to further improve the platform’s scalability.

Because AdEx is designed to be compatible with most of the existing ad tech industry, the process of adoption and integration by publishers and advertisers is easy. AdEx can be used in websites, mobile and desktop applications, and even embedded devices.

ADX Tokens and the Token Sale

The crowdsale, which begins on June 30, 2017, and runs through July 30, 2017, will fund the initial development and adoption of the AdEx advertising network. AdEx tokens (ADX) will use ERC20, a standard protocol for smart contract systems powered by native tokens. This will ensure the platform’s compatibility with other Ethereum-powered solutions.

In order to estimate and optimize the perfect supply of native tokens for the token sale, AdEx has partnered with WINGS Foundation, the developer of WINGS DAO. The project also engages the social graph of the WINGS DAO crypto-experts to maximize potential project backers who can serve as product champions and evangelists, allowing AdEx to quickly go to market.

The terms of the ADX token sale are as follows:

Crowdsale duration: 1 month

Start date: June 30, 2017

End date: July 30, 2017

Total number of ADX tokens: 100,000,000

Number of ADX tokens available for sale: 80,000,000

Currencies accepted: ETH

Token price: 1 ETH = 900 ADX

Campaign cap: 40,000 ETH

Over the course of the token crowdsale, 80% of all ADX tokens will be available for distribution among the supporters. Of the remaining twenty percent, 16% will be reserved for developers and advisors, which will be vested for a year to ensure the smooth development of the platform. The remaining 4% will be distributed between WINGS DAO community and the bounty campaign participants, as shown in the picture below.

During the campaign, only ETH transactions will be accepted. The address for contributions will be published at tokens.adex.network once the token sale has begun.

Future Plans

The first AdEx advertising platform prototype is scheduled for release as early as February 2018. It will include basic core features such as an ad bidding system, a front-end for advertisers publishers, and an SDK for publishers. The prototype will primarily focus on native and display advertising.

To ensure transparency, the prototype will undergo a stringent audit by an independent third party prior to release and its code will be completely open-source.

In the year following the successful release of its prototype, AdEx will focus heavily on business development as determined by both market needs and community feedback. During this time, AdEx plans to roll out major improvements to the platform, including user targeting and reporting, full integration of SDK, and video advertising.

By January 2019, AdEx plans to release AdEx v.2, which seeks to accommodate the needs of the increasing number of publishers and advertisers using the platform. The v.2 solution will essentially be a complete technological revamp, scaling the entire solution upward and possibly extending to other blockchains such as Aeternity or RSK.

Do you think the AdEx advertising platform will adequately address the shortcomings and failures of the current online advertising industry? What do you think is the most exciting aspect of this project? Let us know in the comments below.

British multinational bank Barclays has confirmed they have been in talks with UK financial regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to see how they can “bring Bitcoin into play.”

Consulting Regulators and Fintech Firms

Speaking with CNBC, the bank’s UK chief executive, Ashok Vaswani, confirmed that the company had been in talks with both regulators and fintech firms in order to determine how the bank can safely bring cryptocurrencies to their customers.

While the conversation with CNBC did revolve around Bitcoin, in particular, it is important to note that Vaswani made it clear that they were looking at blockchain technology as a whole.

According to Vaswani:

We have been talking to a couple of fintechs and have actually gone with the fintechs to the FCA to talk about how we could bring, the equivalent of bitcoin, not necessarily bitcoin, but cryptocurrencies into play.

He also discussed the importance of caution with regard to cryptocurrency integration:

[It’s] obviously a new area we’ve got to be careful with […] We’re working on it, [it’s] not ready for prime time, we’ll get there soon.

Not Barclays’ First Bitcoin Rodeo

Barclays’ move comes on the heels of recent news that JP Morgan Chase is planning to integrate Zcash with its blockchain platform as well as Chase’s announced inclusion in the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance. This is not the first time that Barclays has dipped its toes into the cryptocurrency pond, however.

In April 2016, Barclays became the first British bank to partner with a digital cryptocurrency firm when they backed social payments app Circle, which allows users to send and receive payments via text message. Circle operates in part on Bitcoin’s blockchain and it offers the cryptocurrency as a payment option as well.

Where Investors Go Banks Follow

As Bitcoin continues to show record breaking gains, the interest level from retail investors is at an all-time high. With this increased interest, it should come as no surprise that banks are starting to sit up and take notice. With Bitcoin boasting YTD gains of near 200% – and Ethereum over 3000% – banks are realizing that cryptocurrency and blockchain technology are here to stay.

Barclays and JP Morgan Chase are hardly the first banks to embrace Bitcoin and the blockchain, however. Other banks that have made inroads include:

Banco Santander

Citi Bank

Goldman Sachs

Standard Chartered

UBS

Bitcoin is now being offered in investment portfolios at both Hargreaves Lansdown and Fidelity Investments, demonstrating a clear willingness to cater to this increasing demand. Fidelity Investments seems to have taken a keener interest in the technology, where others remain cautionary.

Ultimately, questions as to the direction Barclays will take are still unanswered, but the important thing is that they are talking about it, investing in it and researching possible opportunities.

What do you think about Barclay’s venture into cryptocurrency and blockchain technology? How can this benefit their customers? Let us know in the comments below.

Monster Byte Inc. owns a suite of long standing and profitable gambling websites that have been custom-built with proprietary technology owned by Monster Byte. Monster Byte is looking to raise additional funds to not only enhance their current consumer’s sites but also begin to resell their intellectual property and enter the B2B iGaming space.

[Note: This is a press release.]

This ICO is unique because the company has been generating revenue, adding users and enhancing its products since 2013. Instead of wondering if you are buying vaporware with the ICO you have a chance to share in the growth and profits of an established company.

From Sports Betting to Provably Fair Games

Monster Byte owns and operates Peerbet.org, Bit777.com, and BitcoinRush.io. Bitcoin Rush offers sports betting and a provably fair casino all custom built and originally founded as “casinobitco.in” in 2013.The sportsbook currently offers highly competitive odds and a daily cashback system that is not available at any other bitcoin sportsbook. Peerbet was established in 2012 and offers 1% edge dice games and an on-site exchange for various cryptocurrencies. Finally, Bit777 was acquired by Monster Byte in 2014 from UltraPlay LTD and is a flash based casino with 49 different games.

The sportsbook currently offers highly competitive odds and a daily cashback system that is not available at any other bitcoin sportsbook. Peerbet was established in 2012 and offers 1% edge dice games and an on-site exchange for various cryptocurrencies. Finally, Bit777 was acquired by Monster Byte in 2014 from UltraPlay LTD and is a flash based casino with 49 different games.

What will the ICO Funds be Used For?

First and foremost, Monster Byte is hiring several functions, including additional developers, and community managers.

The BitcoinRush.io sportsbook will be updated with a new UI/UX model and implement a system that earns between 2-4% per bet regardless if the player wins or loses.

Peerbet.org will be relaunched with a new modern design that will be responsive for tablet and mobile device play.

BitcoinRush.io will start accepting more coins including Waves, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, and others in time for the next NFL season in September.

B2B syndication of its games and API access to both traditional fiat and cryptocurrency gaming portals. The new line of business will supplement existing revenue streams.

Telegram messenger betting support. People will be able to place bets from their telegram app.

What do Token Holders Get?

Monster Byte Token will be issued exclusively on the Waves Platform due to the ability to easily trade tokens against other assets and cryptocurrencies all within the DEX, a very liquid decentralized exchange in the Waves LiteApp Wallet.

On a quarterly basis, all Monster Byte token holders are entitled to their share of the collective profit (revenue – expenses) of Monster Byte. Dividends will be paid in bitcoin, and detailed quarterly reports will be published to provide full transparency on all operations. A dedicated Slack channel will also be created to follow the day-to-day operations and development progress with the team itself.

When is the Monster Byte ICO? I Want in NOW!

The ICO pre-sale will begin on July 3rd, 2017 at 16:00 UTC, and extend until July 8th 16:00 UTC or whenever the pre-sale is sold out, whichever occurs first. During the pre-sale, 2,500,000 Monster Byte tokens will be sold at $0.08 USD, a 31.5% discount over the general sale. The general sale will open at July 8th at 16:00, and 7,500,000 Monster Byte tokens will then be sold at $0.11 USD.

Is There a Cap?

Yes, in total, Monster Byte anticipates raising $1,025,000 USD which gives Monster Byte a $4.4M post-money valuation. They chose not to have an open cap as savvy investors should know exactly what they are buying into, with a well-defined capitalization model.

A Unique Opportunity

This is your chance to invest in one of the fastest growing industries. Sports betting and online gambling is one of the best use cases for cryptocurrencies. Currently, online gambling as a whole is a $46 Billion/year market. Depending on estimates, that figure is expected to reach $50 Billion/year by 2019. At the same time, due the benefits of both the player and operator, cryptocurrency gambling is going to ‘eat into’ this market gradually year over year.

Based on Monster Byte’s solid reputation and long-standing history in this young niche market, as well as their expansion into B2B operations this is an ICO that is sure to go quickly.

Visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on the ICO and presale. You can also connect with us on Slack and on BitcoinTalk.

[Disclaimer: Bitcoinist accepts money to publish press releases in the dedicated PR section. However, we do not endorse and cannot guarantee any claims contained in these press releases. We advise our readers to always do their due diligence before sending any money to companies and services, particularly those who guarantee profits. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.]

iDice, the company behind the world’s first, has raised 7400 ETH ($2.4 million USD) in a span of less than 2 weeks, becoming the most successful gaming ICO in Ethereum history. The iDice ICO is currently live with only 2 more days left in the crowdsale. Holders of iDice tokens will be entitled to a portion of iDice’s total profits.

[Note: This is a press release.]

Jordan Wong, Founder and CEO of iDice commented:

People can see the potential of iDice in the future. We’re bringing Ethereum Gaming to mobile devices across the world, something that nobody has ever done before. It’s obvious that mobile betting is going to be big, and we’re going to dominate this market.

The iDice team has released a developer update of their upcoming mobile app, scheduled to launch late Q3 of this year. iDice token holders will have the right to claim a portion of the total profits from both desktop and mobile platforms. This includes any profits from future games such as poker, roulette, slots, and blackjack.

iDice has become the fastest growing gambling platform to date. The iDice beta has gotten over 2000 bets and paid out over 1600 ETH ($500k USD) – all within its first 3 months. Ethereum Gambling experts have predicted that iDice will beat its competitors vDice, Etheroll, and Edgeless Casino in the mobile gambling segment.

iDice seems to have the odds in its favor. The global online gambling industry is currently worth $47 Billion USD, with mobile traffic rapidly on the rise. Ethereum, which iDice uses, is also growing at a great pace, meaning that it will take an increasingly bigger part of the mobile online gambling industry; Ether is already popular among players. These two factors combine make iDice the king of a huge kingdom, whose vast territory and borders have not been fully explored yet.

To join the iDice ICO, sign up at their crowdsale page: https://crowdsale.idice.io. The ICO ends this week on June 26, UTC 0:00, so time is quickly running out. The iDice team has already made contact with exchanges, and the project is likely to see even more popularity after they’re listed. Similar projects in the past such as vDice have seen their tokens shoot up 30x in value this year. Investors believe that iDice will likely be no different.

[Disclaimer: Bitcoinist accepts money to publish press releases in the dedicated PR section. However, we do not endorse and cannot guarantee any claims contained in these press releases. We advise our readers to always do their due diligence before sending any money to companies and services, particularly those who guarantee profits. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.]

High school dropout and Bitcoin millionaire, Erik Finman, has hosted a Reddit AMA to shed some light on himself and his journey in the cryptosphere.

Too Cool for School

Erik Finman was recently featured in a CNBC story in which he described the journey through the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency world which lead him to acquire over $1.09 million in Bitcoin and other smaller holdings in altcoins like Litecoin and Ethereum. Finman took the opportunity to conduct a Reddit AMA, where users were allowed to ask questions about Eric’s story.

Dropping out of high school at the age of 15 to focus on his educational website, Erik Finman made a bet with his parents in which he agreed to go to college if he wasn’t a millionaire by the age of 18. Thanks to the continuous Bitcoin rally, Finman was able to hire professional programmers to work on his website, later selling it for Bitcoin again, starting his own VR company, all while trading Bitcoin and increasing his holdings.

Now, Erik Finman holds 403 bitcoins which are currently valued at $1,092,678.08, among other holdings, which means that he doesn’t have to go to college, according to the bet. However, it’s also worth noting that Finman is not yet a millionaire, as his profits in Bitcoin have not yet been realized. However, Erik believes in the potential of Bitcoin and blockchain technology.

During the Reddit A.M.A, he stated:

I see bitcoin going up way more than just the 2000s/3000s where it’s been. Bitcoin and blockchain technology is where the internet was in the 80s, not the 90s, but the 80s. And if you just get a fraction of the world on it. And I know all these entrepreneurs inventing world changing technologies that one of them will do a lot to get new people onto Bitcoin thus raising the price. Bitcoin will be worth tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars to even millions of dollars a coin

Reddit AMA

Riding the spotlight created by CNBC’s story, Erik Finman decided to host a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) in which he planned to answer user questions, most likely on his journey towards becoming a millionaire and his dealing with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. However, the focus was not on Bitcoin

Mainly curious about Erik’s taxes and education, many users wondered if Erik Finman paid his taxes accordingly, with some users suggesting the contrary. Many also asked if Finman has plans to return to formal education, although he didn’t show much interest in doing so.

The thread was also flooded with negative comments attempting to discredit Erik Finman as a kid who made a “lucky bet” when purchasing Bitcoin. Finman addressed one of these comments:

I spent every day working to build up the number of Bitcoins I had. Turning 80-100 Bitcoins to 403 + other money in cryptocurrencies. Feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt but it was not one purchase, it was years of trading in addition to building out my projects. I wanted to clear that up. I’m not perfect, so you are right there might be imperfections in my advice.

Erik Finman – Lucky or Shrewd?

While it may be simple to dismiss Erik Finman as “simply lucky”, it would be unfair to do so. When considering that Bitcoin is still so far from mainstream adoption, having the foresight to research and invest in Bitcoin is far from lucky, unless you’re buying Bitcoin blindly because someone told you too.

Although it is true that Bitcoin’s volatility may be near impossible to predict, Finman’s understanding of the underlying technology allowed him to make an investment, not based specifically on the market (or hype) but based on the potential of Bitcoin. Not only that, but his understanding of the markets themselves allowed him to grow his Bitcoin holdings with trades.

However, Finman has also proved that there is more than just luck to him through various projects he has previously worked on, which have also granted him high yields. These projects include his educational websiteabd his own VR company.

What’s your take on the story of Erik Finman? Will Bitcoin continue to make young millionaires? If so, can this change in wealth distribution change the world for the better? Let us know your views on the comments below?

Comparing the dotcom booms, Amazon share price and performance to Bitcoin draws some very interesting parallels, setting Bitcoin as potentially the world’s most lucrative trading investment.

Emerging Tech market Capitalisation Then and Now

Gordon Scott at Investopediawrites that Bitcoin is comparable to how Amazon was treated during the Dotcom boom.

Even by the start of 1997, everyone knew Amazon had a great idea, but no one could fully explain how much its shares should be worth.

It is that very problem that Bitcoin now faces. Everyone realizes that it is a great idea, yet it is hard to fully grasp exactly how much it should be worth. Bitcoin’s primary use as a monetary is well known, but the actual technology and its potential applications are still a great mystery to many.

Amazon faced the same problem as it took new approaches to distribution and supply chain management. Interestingly, Amazon initially started in the book sector and, while it dominates that market to this day, it has since evolved by several orders of magnitude to be the giant that it is today. Gordon further explains:

Investors were not able to fully and accurately quantify Amazon share value at first. Can you blame them if it was hard to analyze the idea of using supply-chain management software to create a virtual book warehouse and factory outlet mall synthesized into a single website?

If we take a look at Amazon’s market valuation back in its 1997-99 cycle there existed the same degree of price volatility that Bitcoin has experienced, at least in it’s 2016-17 period which has seen a much steadier rise as a result of actual widespread investor speculation.

It is the cryptocurrency’s volatility that makes it such a potentially highly rewarding trading investment. The price swings, while hopefully not terminal (as they became after 2010), offer the trader many opportunities to take profit and reinvest. As long as Bitcoin continues to follow the price trends set by Amazon, its traders can potentially continue to make a very lucrative trading investment with the coin.

As can be seen in the charts above, the dotcom boom parallels the current state of cryptocurrency. Furthermore, as other altcoins emerge to stand up to rival and compete with Bitcoin, there exist the same issues of fluctuations in price.

These same issues were present in 1997, except that some companies went on to continue rising as others crashed with the bursting of the dotcom bubble.

Bitcoin In Perspective

Sue Chang at Marketwatch posted this chart (below) which puts the current size and value of Bitcoin into perspective:

As illustrated above, Amazon currently stands at a value of $402 billion, with Bitcoin already sitting at a $41 billion market capitalization. Given this, it’s not hard to get a sense of the size of the cryptocurrency’s current projected value and there is a great deal of market confidence in the coin to have reached this stage.

While many see Bitcoin as being in a bubble, and there may yet be many more volatile dips to come, it is worth remembering that companies such as Amazon suffered also from this market volatility. Volatility, while not desirable in a currency, could just be a sign of Bitcoin and its technology truly finding its feet among its fellow market giants.

Will Bitcoin fulfill its promise as the most lucrative trading investment? Let us know in the comments.

In an interview with CEOCFO Magazine published on Monday, DNotes co-founder Alan Yong revealed his thoughts on the current state of cryptocurrency, the obstacles preventing the industry from obtaining more widespread acceptance, and his company’s plan to position DNotes to overcome those challenges.

[Note: This is a press release.]

Yong, the author of the book Improve Your Odds – The Four Pillars of Business Success, pulled no punches as he surveyed the digital currency landscape in 2017 and elaborated on DNotes Global Inc’s plans and DNotes’ potential.

In remarks after the interview was published, Yong made clear his belief in digital currency’s ability to level the playing field for billions of financially disadvantaged people around the world. That is why he chose to emphasize their plight and explain how the DNotes team plans to position that currency to fill that gap by fulfilling all the basic functions of money.

Young explained:

I talked about the 2.2 billion people around the globe who lack access to basic financial services. […] How do you improve your life and that of your community or country when banks won’t even give you access to a savings account – much less a small business loan or other credit opportunities? This is not a new problem, and yet the current financial system has done little or nothing to make those peoples’ lives better. Something has to change.

Yong’s focus on these types of problems is understandable. For years, cryptocurrency enthusiasts have argued that digital currency would provide the democratization of money that the world needs to empower everyone. However, as he alludes to in his interview, little real progress has been made. And if Yong is right, few if any of today’s digital currencies are properly positioned to fulfill that promise of monetary democratization.

With respect to Bitcoin, Yong notes that its popularity and current price could prove to be a barrier to more widespread adoption around the world. As he noted in the interview, “mass acceptance of any digital currency also requires it to be accessible to anyone and everyone around the world – rather than just being limited to the monied elite.” Yong says that universal accessibility is a central goal for the DNotes team and project.

To accomplish that, the DNotes strategy reportedly focuses on creating an informed community dedicated to the currency’s success, a trusted brand that is both reliable and verifiable, and a system that emphasizes education about digital currency. DNotes Global Inc was created as a for-profit company to help meet those goals and provide the leadership needed to ensure that the currency acquires actual intrinsic value.

That intrinsic value will be vital if DNotes is to achieve Yong’s dream of serving as a viable source for financial empowerment around the world. No currency can long lay claim to that designation without some measure of intrinsic value since much of the world’s population will be reluctant to put its trust in any currency that suffers from unpredictable and wild price swings.

Yong also went into greater detail about the DNotes Global Inc project and its long-term goals. The DNotes team plans to eventually launch a cryptocurrency exchange, as well as an online bank. And that’s on top of its ongoing efforts to continue to improve its other project offerings – services and features that include everything from the innovative and secure DNotes Vault system to the company’s CRIPS savings accounts and retirement program.

Yong’s interview with CEOCFO Magazine offers perhaps the most in-depth glimpse into his company’s plans yet, and that’s likely to spark even more interest in the DNotes project. Still, Yong seems to be taking that in stride.

DNotes is generating lots of excitement right now, but we’re still focused on the task before us. This is a big project, with big ramifications for the world – so patience is a must. If I’ve learned one thing in my business life, it’s that you always need to do the right thing at the right time – and for the right reasons. We intend to keep doing just that.

About DNotes and Alan Yong

DNotes co-founder Alan Yong is a well-regarded author and tech visionary who established Dauphin Technology in 1988. DNotes is regarded as a “thought leader” in the cryptocurrency industry, with a digital currency noted for its consistent and reliable growth, and innovative initiatives that actively engage women, young people, small businesses, workers, and others – effectively inviting the world to participate in the digital currency revolution.